Helpless
by Kalia of Camelot
Summary: When Merlin jumps in front of Arthur to protect him from a spell, he is kidnapped by the evil sorceress who had tried to hit the King. Merlin eventually manages to returns to Camelot, but something is wrong. Seriously wrong. Every time the young warlock falls asleep, the torture begins again... Rated T. No slash. Merlin whump, bromance
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first fanfic, so please be nice! All reviews and constructive criticism very welcome. I was devastated when the last episode ever ended - *sniff* - so I thought I'd try my hand at writing a fanfic! Arthur is King, Morgana is probably off somewhere being evil, and Kilgarrah and Merlin have had the encounter where the dragon talks about how he is getting older...**

**Hope you like it!**

The sun was shining in Camelot. The birds were singing, the people were smiling, and Merlin was cleaning Arthur's armour. Again.

'Hurry up Merlin! I know you're an imbecile, but surely you've finished cleaning that by now?' The king yelled. Merlin sighed resignedly.

'Nearly sire, it's just that there's quite a lot of it. Although, I suppose there must be, to cover all of your fat -'

'MERLIN'

The manservant chuckled to himself as he finished polishing the helmet, then carried it over to his King.

'Sorry _Sire, _I didn't realise you were so sensitive about your weight!'

'Just because I'm not a weak, scrawny little boy who can hardly lift a sword, it doesn't mean I'm fat, Merlin!'

'Of course not.'

Arthur got back at his servant by throwing a goblet at the back of his servant's head as he retreated. There was a loud clang as it hit its target, and Arthur laughed to himself as the younger man winced.

'Will that be all, Sire?' Merlin muttered, somehow managing to make the title sound like an insult.

'Not quite' said the King, before lobbing a second goblet.

Merlin smiled wryly to himself as he made his way out of the King's chambers. His relationship with Arthur was a precious one, even if Melin often found himself on the receiving end of a little minor violence after a banter session. He rubbed the back of his head ruefully as he did his chores, preparing for the great feast that was to take place in the castle that evening. It was the first day of summer, and there was to be a grand banquet to celebrate the prospect of happy days ahead.

*M*

The air was filled with the sounds of laughter as the lords and ladies dined in the banquet hall. Arthur and Leon were discussing training drills animatedly, and Merlin appeared at the King's shoulder from time to time to top up their goblets. Merlin had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach; he knew that Arthur often laughed off his 'funny feelings' but the warlock knew that they were seldom wrong and so he was on his guard. However, nothing seemed to be amiss and the guests were certainly enjoying themselves, and eventually Merlin started to relax a little. He had just begun chatting to another servant when he heard the bang.

The guests quietened. Everyone looked around for the source of the loud noise, but no one seemed to know what had caused it. The guests were just shrugging off the disturbance and returning to their conversations when they heard it again.

BANG

The great wooden doors creaked open and everyone stared as a woman, wild-looking and imposing, stepped into the hall.

'Arthur Pendragon' she whispered. It was barely audible, and yet her words reached Merlin's ears. As the King shouted for the guards who, it seemed, had been knocked out, and the knights stood and reached for weapons, she raised one arm and pointed at Arthur.

'You have persecuted my kind for too long. I come here to have my revenge!' Her voice crescendoed and as her final words echoed around the hall, she chanted a spell in an unfamiliar tongue.

Merlin knew he had to act fast. He sprinted towards Arthur, then leapt in front of him as the jet of light was propelled towards him. It hit him straight in the chest, and as he dropped to the floor the warlock realised he couldn't breathe. Merlin's vision turned darker and darker as he heard, as if from a long way away, the screams and shouts, and someone calling his name...

'You will pay for this! GUARDS!' Arthur yelled, furiously enraged as he saw the limp body of his servant and friend, unmoving on the cold stone floor. He drew his sword, and saw the other knights do the same all around him, and then the woman was chanting again, and suddenly - suddenly Arthur couldn't move. From what he could see, no one else could either, and all he could do was stare as the hag slowly made her way over to where Merlin lay.

'I see that this foolish boy is strangely loyal to you, Arthur Pendragon' she stated, inspecting Merlin as one might study an interesting piece of wildlife.

'Perhaps he will serve my purpose even better than you will...' She seemed to consider something for a moment, then nodded to herself, decision made.

'Those of us with magic have suffered for too long at your hand, Arthur Pendragon, and I felt it was time for you to have a taste of your own medicine,' she cackled as she observed the frozen king.

'Don't worry, you will see your oh-so-loyal little servant again. He might just be a bit...different by then.' She smirked evilly at him, and Arthur felt more powerless than ever before as he watched her begin to chant once more. Suddenly, she and Merlin were enveloped in light, and then - they were gone.

Vanished.

Arthur suddenly found he could move again, and judging by the commotion around him the rest of the guests had discovered the same thing. He didn't care about that though. He didn't care about the panic spreading throughout the hall like wildfire, he didn't care about the guards still unconscious at the door, he didn't care that the stupid feast had been ruined.

All he cared about was Merlin.

All he could see was the image of his best friend's body, lying pale and still on the stone floor.

All he could hear was that witch's evil cackle of a laugh as she magicked away the innocent, defenceless manservant.

As he stood there, in the hall full of panicking nobles, he knew one thing. He was going to get Merlin back if it was the last thing he did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! I've been so overwhelmed by all the lovely reviews so thanks so much to everyone who took the time to send me one! Also, everyone who favourited this story gets a brownie point :)**  
**Disclaimer: sadly, I don't own Merlin** :(  
**Hope you enjoy!**

'Arthur, come on. You have to eat something!' Gwen pleaded. It had been five days since Merlin had been taken and, even though he had doubled the patrols, the King had heard no news of his servant. He and his wife were sitting in their chambers eating lunch - or they were meant to be.  
'I'm not hungry Guinevere,' was Arthur's monotonous reply, as it had been for the last few days.  
'Please. I just want to think.' At this he pushed away the plate in front of him, which was piled high with all manner of delicious foods.  
Gwen hated seeing her husband like this. She felt just as devastated as he did, but that didn't mean she was skipping meals.

'If you want to find Merlin you're going to have to be at your normal strength!'  
He slowly turned his head to look at her, an unfamiliar expression in his eyes.

_'If I want to find Merlin?' _He hissed, glaring at his wife, who shrank away from his cold glare. This was not normal. Arthur had never been like this with her before. She searched his face, feeling confused and angry and sad all at the same time.

'Arthur, I -' she began, but was cut off as Arthur suddenly stood up.

'You what, Guinevere? You didn't mean it?'

'Arthur I miss him just as much as you do AND ARGUING WILL NOT HELP!' She shouted, and as he took in these words she saw his expression change. Soften.

'Of course I know you want to find him, Arthur. It's all any of us want.' She said softly, looking sadly at her husband as he stared back at her, his eyes full of despair.

'Gwen. Gwen I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' He slumped back down in his seat again, his voice quieter and his eyes more calm. He suddenly looked young and vulnerable, worry and tiredness etched across his handsome face.  
'I didn't mean to shout. I haven't been sleeping, hell, I haven't really done anything and -'  
Gwen shushed him, and she saw him relax a little.

'It's fine. It's okay, Arthur. I know. I'll represent you at that council meeting this afternoon, okay? You can have some time off for once. Go out and look for him again?'  
The love and adoration in the King's eyes showed just how grateful he was for this rare chance.

'Thank you. That would be wonderful. I know he's an idiot and a fool and a God awful servant but...he's my friend and I intend to get him back. I think..I think I've only just realised how much I need him.' he said slowly, and it was true. After just five days without Merlin, Arthur had started to see how much his clumsy, stupid servant really meant to him.

It was most obvious in the mornings. When another servant knocked politely before entering his chambers, silently opening the curtains and tidying his room. How efficient they were, yet emotionless it seemed.  
'I think we all have,' Gwen replied simply. 'We will find him, Arthur. I know we will.'

'I know.'

Arthur looked at her again, some of his usual energy returning to his features.  
'But if you ever tell him what I just said...' He warned, but finally he was smiling again as he began to eat his lunch.

*M*

Merlin's eyes slowly opened, and he peered blearily around the small, cold dungeon. It was dark and gloomy, and as he tried to move his limbs Merlin realised that he was chained to the wall by his wrists. His head hurt. His head _really_ hurt. It felt like someone had gone at him with the kitchen's heaviest frying pan when he'd had a hangover. He shook his head, trying to clear it, trying to think. He remembered the feast. The banging noises. Merlin screwed up his face as he tried to remember what had happened next.  
The door had opened...  
Merlin's eyes snapped open again as he remembered her. The spell, saving Arthur, not being able to breathe and then...nothing.

And here he was.

Alone in a cell.

Merlin tried to speak the spell that would break the shackles holding him down, but the words wouldn't come. His head was still so muddled up, his thoughts cloudy once more. As the pain in his head increased, he slipped a little further down the wall, and into unconsciousness.

Merlin awoke again to the sound of footsteps echoing around the dungeon. He struggled into a sitting position, wrists still chained above his head, as the woman walked into the room. Her torn black dress and wild, dark hair reminded Merlin of Morgana. Merlin's eyes began to close again as the woman stood there. He knew he should stay awake, but he was so tired, so very tired..  
The woman's green eyes flashed with magic and suddenly Merlin's skin was on fire and he couldn't help but shout out in pain. It was agony. Torture. His voice rose to a scream and he wished he could just _die_ so it would be over - and then suddenly it stopped.

'Are we awake now?' The woman questioned as she watched Merlin panting and gasping for breath on the floor.

'Good. We're going to have a little chat'

Melin had to stop himself from whimpering as he felt fire burn his skin once more.

Pain.

So much pain.  
He could barely think, barely breathe and then - to his immense relieve, it stopped again.  
'Paying attention?' The cruel woman smiled nastily as he glared up at her.

'Good. Merlin, isn't it? That's what your little Pendragon friend called you.' Merlin didn't reply.

'Haven't got very nice manners, have we _Merlin_?' She smirked, and when he didn't reply she kicked him, hard in the chest. He coughed and wheezed, his eyes widening as he saw her pull a little clay doll out from a pocket.

'I think I'm going to enjoy this. I was planning to break that idiot who calls himself a King in person, but I think he cares for you' she mused, pacing slowly around the tiny cell.

'Is that right, boy?'

'No' Merlin croaked, voice cracking. He wondered how long he had been down here for his voice to sound like that. Two days? Three?

'I think you're lying, Merlin' she teased wickedly in a singsong, childish voice.

'And if you lie, you must be punished!' She smiled down at him, the way a hawk might look at a helpless little mouse.

The fire burned for the third time. He yelled in anguish, body writhing on the dungeon floor, and this time it wasn't stopping. He opened his eyes, and stared frantically up at the hag as she raised the little clay doll and began to mutter incomprehensible words. Merlin's vision began to fade once more as the magical fire burned his pale skin. The last thing he saw was the flash of gold as the woman finished her spell, then...nothing.  
Darkness.

*M*

When Merlin awoke, the first thing he knew was that he was warm. He struggled to open his eyes, then shut them again as the harsh sunlight blinded him. Once his eyes had adjusted somewhat, he looked around him at the familiar forest glade. He had camped here before, when Arthur had dragged him along on one of his spontaneous hunting trips. Merlin looked down at his arms and was surprised to find no marks there, no signs of burning at all. He struggled to think of how he had got here, but nothing came. One minute he had been in that place and the next, he was here, lying on the mossy forest floor. Merlin smiled, then began to laugh out loud with relief as he wondered how on earth he had escaped. He had been unable to use magic when he'd tried, so how had he done it? The young man struggled to his feet and then leaned against a tree as he suddenly felt dizzy. He stayed there for a moment, regaining his balance, before hearing a noise.

_Clip clop clip clop_

Merlin couldn't believe his luck as he heard the horse trotting somewhere nearby.

'Hello?' He shouted, then realised he might have just alerted a bandit of his presence. But what if it wasn't a bandit? He was very near Camelot if he remembered correctly, so what if it was a knight on patrol? He hoped fervently that someone had been looking for him after his capture.

_Clip clop clip clop_

The horse seemed approaching the clearing where Merlin stood. The warlock raised his voice and shouted again, 'Hello?' figuring that there was a higher chance of the rider being a friend than a foe.

He was right.

'Merlin!' Arthur breathed.

**Well, what did you think? :) I'll try to get the next chapter up in the next few days! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I would just like to thank everyone who has followed or favourited this! Plus all the reviews have been very helpful, so thanks a lot for that! They also motivated me to get going with the next chapter so you see, if you review it works out well for you too! Haha :) thanks again, hope you enjoy**  
**Disclaimer: Nope, despite my best efforts I still don't own merlin. Darn.**

'Merlin' Arthur breathed.  
The men looked at each other for a minute, neither one believing their good fortune. Then Arthur jumped down off his horse and rushed towards his friend, checking him over for any injuries.  
'Where have you been? Are you hurt?' The King grabbed his servant and looked into his face. Merlin smiled at Arthur's concern.

'I think I'm okay Arthur, honestly. As for where I've been...' Merlin's brow furrowed as he remembered that place.  
'I'll tell you that later.' He finished quietly, hoping that Arthur wouldn't pursue the subject.

Arthur could see that his friend didn't want to talk about where he'd been for the past few days, and although he was desperate to know, he respected Merlin's wishes and didn't ask again. He was just happy to see that his friend was safe, and by the looks of things, relatively unharmed. He hadn't missed the pain in Merlin's eyes as he had remembered where he'd been, though, and Arthur was determined to get to the bottom of things shortly.

'Alright then. God, its been nearly a week! Here, you must be tired, you ride and I'll walk.' Merlin was touched and very grateful for this thoughtful gesture, and hauled himself into the saddle with the last of his rapidly depleting energy.

'We were... well, we were worried about you Merlin. I -' Arthur paused, as if he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say. He tried again: 'I may never repeat this but...I missed you.'

Merlin grinned at that, and it was the grin that Arthur had missed so much over the last few days. The King was very relieved to see it once again.

'I didn't know you cared _Sire_' Merlin replied cheekily, looking down from atop the horse.

'I don't really, but you know, servants are hard to come by these days.' The men grinned at each other, and slipped into their normal banter as they began the journey home.

'No, I suppose there can't be many servants willing to work for a cabbage-headed clotpole like you...'

'There are _plenty_ of servants _desperate_ for the chance to serve me Merlin, but for some reason I'm stuck with an ignorant, idiotic, clumsy, dollop head of a -'

'Dollop-head is _my_ word!'

They laughed as they continued towards Camelot. The insults continued to fly, and it felt normal again. The forest looked beautiful once more, and Arthur smiled happily to himself. Merlin was safe, and everything was going to be alright.

That was when he noticed that Merlin was frowning.  
'Merlin?' Queried Arthur, immediately worried, only to be waved away:  
'I'm fine, it's fine. I just - my head hurts a bit, that's all. Probably just a headache.'  
Arthur could see through Melin's brush-off remark, and he stopped walking, anxiety gripping him once more.  
'Merlin, if something's wrong -'

'It's _fine_, Arthur. I just want to get back, okay? Gaius can give me a potion or something when we get there.'  
Arthur was confused by this reply, and was sure the man was in more pain than he was letting on, but sighing, he continued walking.  
'Come on then. Everyone's missed you, you know.' They continued went on, a little faster now. 'I can't for the life of me think why...'

*M*

By the time the men returned to Camelot, Arthur was seriously worried. He sent another servant to tell the queen that Merlin had been found, before slowly helping Merlin to Gaius' chambers. The servant had become increasingly more withdrawn as they neared Camelot, which was very unlike Merlin - normally no one could shut him up. Arthur had tried to ask about where he'd been again, but Merlin's face had closed up and he'd gone silent. Arthur decided that it was simply too soon, but couldn't bear to think about what might've happened to his friend. He had to know soon, or it would drive him mad.

They finally made it to Gaius' chambers, Merlin leaning on Arthur for support. He seemed very weak, and Arthur called out for the physician as they stumbled through the door.  
The old man appeared, confused at first and then, when he saw Merlin, the worry and stress that had been present in his eyes faded away, and delight spread across his face.

'Merlin, my boy!' He cried, and hugged the boy who had become like a son to him.  
'Thank goodness you're safe! Where have you been? Are you hurt?'

'Just my head' Merlin smiled weakly ignoring Gaius' other question. He seemed to be in a lot of pain now, and at once Gaius' physician side took over. After finding out all Arthur knew, Gaius quickly found a potion to relieve the pain in Merlin's head, and managed to convince Merlin to drink. The boy spluttered and coughed,

"Gaius! That tastes disgusting!"

"Drink up my lad, it'll make you feel better.' Merlin rolled his eyes before finishing the potion in one.

"_Eurgh_. Why couldn't you make a potion that tastes nice for once?!" He grumbled, but it was without his usual energy, and Gaius and Arthur exchanged worried looks. Merlin sank down into a chair in exhaustion as Gwen burst through the door.

"Merlin!" She cried, thrilled to see her friend seemingly unharmed.

"Hi Gwen" Merlin smiled, but he spoke more quietly than normal. The queen immediately picked up on this, and her face clouded over somewhat.  
"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Oh Merlin I've been so worried!" Gwen rushed, babbling as she did when she was excited or upset.

As Arthur filled Gwen in on the details Merlin had divulged, Merlin himself turned to Gaius and murmured, "My head hurts worse than it did before. I know magic was used on me. Maybe potions just won't work." Alarmed, Gaius looked at his ward, with confusion on his face.

"Is it that bad? You think this is more than just a bump, or normal head wound?"

"Oh yes" said Merlin quietly. "Trust me Gaius. This is no normal injury. Please, can I just get some sleep? I'm tired. I promise I'll tell you everything when I wake up.' He added, seeing the physician's irritation.

"Alright my boy. I suppose you deserve some rest." The old man grudgingly replied."I have to go and do my rounds, but I'll be back later and we can have a little chat about where you've been." Gaius didn't seem completely happy with this, but he reluctantly helped Merlin climb the steps to his room.

Once Merlin was settled, the physician returned to find Arthur and Guinevere conversing in hushed tones.  
"Is he going to be alright, Gaius?" Arthur asked, worry evident in his voice. "He pretends he's fine but any fool could see he was hurting."

'I believe he will be fine, Sire,' replied the physician, not letting his own concern be seen. 'He is exhausted and just needs rest. Now if you'll excuse me, I must do my rounds.'

'Of course' Arthur said, still looking at Merlin's door.

'Arthur, he'll be fine.' Gwen rested a slender hand on her husbands arm. 'I must get back to the council meeting now, but will you tell Merlin I'll come and see him later, please Gaius?' asked the Queen.

'I will, my lady.'

And with that, the physician and the queen left to perform their duties, leaving Arthur standing alone in the middle of the room.

After a moment, he walked slowly to Merlin's room and opened the door. The fool had fallen asleep with no blanket on top of him, and Arthur fetched one from a cupboard before tucking it around his friend's shoulders. Merlin looked so young when he slept. Arthur suddenly felt very protective of his servant, and decided to wait with him until Gaius returned. He retreated to Gaius' chamber, not wanting to infringe on Merlin's privacy by watching him as he slept, but still wanting to remain close by, just in case. Arthur sat down heavily on the nearest chair, and put his head in his hands.

Merlin was back, and Arthur was overjoyed about that, but where had he come back from? Arthur needed to know, sitting there alone with a million possibilities running through his mind. It was clear that Merlin hadn't been tortured physically, there wasn't a scratch on him. So what then? All manner of horrible scenarios popped into his head, but he dismissed each one. He would find out soon enough, he supposed. He just hoped that Merlin knew where to find the witch that had taken him, because Arthur was going to make her regret ever touching his friend. How anyone could ever hurt Merlin was a mystery to Arthur. He was so...innocent. He could barely hold a sword! But then again, Arthur didn't even know if she _had_ hurt him, he didn't know _anything_!

The king's thoughts were still going round in circles when he heard the sound. It was a small but unmistakable cry of pain. Arthur leapt to his feet and sprinted to Merlin's room in panic to find the man...still asleep, in his bed. Arthur breathed out in relief, and looked around the cramped room for the source of the noise, but he found nothing.

Wardrobe, drawers, window, cupboard, bed. There was no one else there. Arthur frowned as he turned to scour Gaius' room for the source of the sound, but again he found nothing. Perplexed, he looked at Merlin again, and gasped in horror at what he saw.

Blood was slowly dripping from a wound that Arthur was sure hadn't existed before. A cut, not too deep by the look of it but bleeding nonetheless, had appeared on Merlin's pale forehead.

Arthur looked around wildly, searching for the non-existent attacker, but there was no one there. Panicking at the blood, Arthur yelled for Gaius who, of course, wasn't there. Arthur didn't know what to do.

'Merlin! MERLIN!' Arthur tried desperately to wake his still slumbering friend, but to no avail. What the hell was going on? Merlin groaned in pain but still didn't wake. It dawned on the young King that sorcery must be involved. How could he have been so stupid? Merlin had been taken by a witch! Of course there was witchcraft involved!

As Arthur continued to call his name and shake him, the servant made a small, whimpering noise, and Arthur sucked in his breath once more as he saw another cut appear, as if out of nowhere, all down Merlin's face. What should he do? Merlin simply wouldn't wake, and it killed Arthur to see his friend in so much pain and be _helpless_ to stop it. He was completely panicking now, and had to stop himself whimpering as he saw another gash appear, this time on Merlin's shoulder. Arthur forced himself to calm down, and breathing slowly he peeled back the blanket covering his friend. He immediately wished he hadn't, as he saw red patches blossoming on Merlin's tunic. It was like someone was painting lines of pain all over the servant, and Arthur still could do nothing but watch as his best friend began to writhe in agony.

'_MERLIN_!'

**Hope this lived up to expectations! We see more of the eeeeevil witch in the next chapter, so if you want to read it soon, let me know! I'm completely motivated and inspired when I get your fab reviews, any feedback is always welcome. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! Wow...the reviews I've had have been so awesome! I'd especially like to thank ahrua192, cinnimania, and SpanaHana for their lovely comments which were very interesting too and funny to read!**

**Also, to 'WishIWasThere': Thank you, I try to be as correct as possible with grammar etc. However, as weird as my writing may be I assure you I am not a 'cruel person'! If you meant it in that I'm being mean to Merlin though, then yes I agree :)**

**As usual all reviews, follows and favourites much appreciated! Thanks! And I know I overuse some words eg. Cackling, but I mean 'laughed evilly' isn't really the same, is it :P**  
**Disclaimer: I still don't own Merlin!**

**Happy reading!**

Meanwhile, in a dark dungeon a few miles away from the city, the wild woman was cackling. In one hand she held the small, clay doll, and in the other she held a knife.  
Eyes filled with dark magic and evil glee, she continued dragging the blade over the surface of the clay, muttering magical words all the while. The woman knew exactly what she was doing, and her manic laughter grew in volume as she imagined what was happening in that _fairy_ _tale_ castle right now. She had wanted to bring down the Pendragons for years, and she was delighted with the wickedness of the plan she was using to do so.  
She smiled darkly to herself, before putting down the knife on a shabby table. If this didn't break the young King, she doubted anything would. She had seen the horror in his eyes as the manservant had fallen. She had seen that the King and the servant had a stronger friendship than any other she had seen for a long time, an unbreakable bond. She knew that the young servant was innocent, and it looked like he had never hurt anyone in his life.  
She knew all this.  
So she had decided to use it in the worst way possible.

*M*

The king, gasping as he saw fresh wounds appearing, was now completely frozen. He wanted to help so badly, and not being able to was one of the hardest things he had ever gone through. He finally came to a decision, and raced out of Merlin's room leaving the boy whimpering on his bed, still unconscious and still bleeding.

Arthur hurried to the corridor and shouted for guards, as loudly as he could. After a moment a young man appeared, out of breath.

'Yes, Sire?'

'Get Gaius. _NOW_.' Arthur commanded, and the guard turned around, nodding.

'Yes, Sire.'

'Tell him that it is...it could be...' The King was so scared and worried that he struggled to find the words to portray the enormity of the threat. He didn't want to say what he knew was true, because saying it out loud would mean admitting it. Acknowledging that this really was happening, that Merlin was being cut up like a paper doll and Arthur couldn't protect him. What if it never stopped? Cut after cut after cut until...until...  
'Tell him that it could be a matter of life and death. _GO_!' Arthur barked, and the man scurried off as quickly as he could.  
The King swiftly returned to his servant's side, eyes combing his limp body for new injuries. But there were none, and Arthur breathed out in relief as he saw that Merlin's pitiful whimpering had quietened a little. He was seriously hurt, but for some reason the invisible torturer seemed to have relented, for now at least.

Arthur tried calling 'Merlin, Merlin?!' again, as loud as he dared and with urgency in his voice. Nothing. The stupid, stubborn, lazy man just wouldn't wake up! Arthur ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at Merlin's pale skin, now covered with criss-crossing lines and lacerations. 'Oh Merlin,' he murmured, softly now, as he inspected the damage. Arthur had sustained enough injuries in him time to know that this was going to hurt, and badly, when Merlin awoke.

_If he ever awoke._

The king frowned. Where had that come from? The little whispering voice in his head continued,

_This isn't natural sleep, is it?! You've been shouting at him for five minutes and he hasn't even stirred. You might as well accept it: he might never wake up..._

'No' Arthur growled out loud, shaking his head to clear it of the pessimistic thoughts struggling for attention. 'Come on, Merlin. Wake up.'

As usual, the young man refused to obey his orders, and didn't move. Arthur put his head in his hands in exasperation, then sat bolt upright again as he heard hurried footsteps from the corridor outside.

'Gaius is coming, Merlin. He'll know what to do.' The King said this more to reassure himself than the unconscious man in front of him, who probably couldn't hear him anyway.

Arthur stood up, face flooding with relief and turned to usher in Gaius when he heard a sickening _crack_.

His eyes widened, and he turned slowly on the spot to see Merlin's wrist sticking out at an odd angle. As the servant's howls of pain began to pierce his brain, Arthur began to feel sick, and stumbled out of the small, shabby room.  
'Gaius. Help him, help him, please! I don't know what to do!' Arthur almost fainted with relief as he saw the old physician hurrying towards him, a grim determination on his face.

'Sire?'

*M*

The hag, having bent the clay doll's wrist the wrong way as forcefully as she could, proceeded to break each tiny little finger in turn. A malevolent smile grew across her dirty face as she dragged her claws across the face of her plaything. Her eyes lowered to the neck. She could snap it. She could twist his head around in a circle if she wanted to, but she didn't.

She liked to play with her food.

Not wanting her new toy to die quite yet, she put down the clay doll and her eyes flashed with magic once more. Satisfied, she busied herself sharpening her knife.

*M*

Merlin groaned. The dull ache in his head had lessened a bit, but he was aware of stinging all over his body. And his hand hurt. _A_ _lot_. He could hear voices, Gaius and someone else, Merlin couldn't quite make it out. He struggled to open his eyes and blinked in the sudden brightness.

'Merlin!' Gaius was by his side in an instant.  
'You must lie still. You are still healing.'

Merlin breathed in, then winced as he found that even that stung. He looked down at his bare chest and his mouth fell open as he saw that he was bandaged up like a mummy.

'Gaius, what -'

'Shut up _Mer_lin and let the man do his job.' Merlin could see that the other person was none other than Arthur. What was he still doing here?

'Arthur?'

'I'm here' was the King's surprisingly gentle reply.

'Yes, I gathered that but, well, why?' At Gaius' warning glance Merlin sighed and said, 'Gaius I want to know why I look like I've been in a war!' At this Gaius' expression hardened and he looked at Arthur.

'I've given him strong potions for the pain, Sire, so he won't be feeling most of his injuries. A slight stinging from the gashes, perhaps, and his hand should not be moved under any circumstances, but you may speak with him if you wish.' Arthur nodded, and turned to face his friend.  
His hand throbbed again, and Merlin looked down at it, startled to recognise the signs of broken fingers and a severely sprained, if not broken, wrist. Even the slight facial movement required to glance down at his hand seemed to provoke wounds on his face, and he has to stop himself from gasping in pain.

'Merlin, what do you remember?' The King inquired gingerly.  
Merlin frowned, then stopped again as even this caused a slight stinging. How many cuts must he have on his face?

'I was in the forest, and you brought me back. I had the headache to end all headaches...Gwen was here...I was so tired, I came up here and went to sleep.' He looked at Arthur. 'So when did this-' he moved as if to gesture at his middle with his right arm and winced as he wrist exploded with pain.  
'Ow,' he whispered, and clutched his injured wrist. 'What the hell happened to me?'

'Thats what we want to know' Gaius muttered under his breath. Arthur looked on in dismay.

'Can't you give him something stronger, Gaius?' Arthur demanded, but the physician shook his head.  
'Anything else will send him to sleep, Sire, which is the last thing we want.'

Why, Merlin wondered, should he not go to sleep? He wasn't as tired anymore, but he certainly didn't feel well rested. As he looked up in confusion, Arthur sighed and began explaining.

*M*

'And then Gaius arrived.' The king concluded a few minutes later. 'He put salve and stuff on your injuries, then bandaged you up, and a few minutes later you woke up.'

'Bloody sorceress' Merlin groaned. 'Gaius, you're sure you don't know what she's done?'

'I've never seen anything like it, Merlin. It seems she cannot harm you when you're awake, though, so be sure to stay alert at all times. All we can do is keep looking through my books, for now, and hope we find whatever this is.'

'I'll help' Arthur immediately volunteered. This was very unlike him. Arthur hated reading, especially musty old books with disgusting diagrams and tiny writing like these.

'No, Arthur. You have duties to attend to. You have shirked them for long enough. I will look after Merlin, and you may return this evening if you wish.' Arthur looked like he was about to object, but then a knocking at the door made them all jump.

'Excuse me, Sire, but Lord Simon requested your presence immediately at the council meeting.' Having delivered his message, the young servant fled and left a very irritated Arthur in his wake.

'Bloody Lord Simon is one of the fools who doesn't take Guinevere seriously' he explained to Merlin and Gaius. 'I'd better go and sort this out.'  
With that, the King strode out of the room.

'Merlin, you and I both know the only person who could help you now,' Gaius whispered, once he was sure Arthur had really gone.  
Merlin nodded.

'The dragon.'

**Hope this was okay! Updates are probably going to start slowing down a bit now, because I'm meant to be revising for my January exams...oops :P**  
**Reviews much appreciated and I hope you enjoyed reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! You might have noticed that my PenName has changed, so sorry for any confusion this causes.**

**As usual I loved all your reviews, and I'm so excited at the number of views, follows and favourites this story has after just a few days! :)**  
**Thanks so much for taking the time to write your comments, it means a lot!**  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. Sad but true.**  
**Here we go!**

Merlin had to wait until darkness came that night before sneaking out of Camelot. It was shocking really, how easy it was for him to come and go as he pleased, although his magic definitely helped him to slip past the unsuspecting guards. There had been two extra guards outside Gaius' chambers tonight on Arthur's orders, and Merlin had only felt a little guilty as his magic sent them to into a deep sleep.  
Earlier Gaius had made a drink to energise him so that Merlin wouldn't fall asleep again, which seemed to be the only time he could be harmed by the witch. The extra energy had certainly perked him up, and though the effects of the drink had mostly worn off by now, Merlin walked with brisk strides, and would have swung his arms by his sides had it not been for his injured hand. As the young warlock walked in the moonlight, he thought back to the evening earlier, when Gwen and Arthur had returned, as promised, to visit him.

'Oh, _Merlin_!' Gwen had sighed despairingly, taking in his bandaged hand, the scars on his neck and face, and the deep red splotches on his tunic. She had cautiously approached his bed and gazed in horror at the red lines gruesomely decorating his pale features. While Arthur had quietly been updated by Gaius, Merlin had smiled at his friend and tried his best to put her at ease.

'Don't worry about me! I think I might just get a few days off work out of this!' he had joked, and she had laughed a little, but he could still see the worry and fear in her deep brown eyes.  
'Anyway, Gaius thinks he has found something, don't you Gaius,' Merlin had lied easily, sure this would cheer Gwen up.

'Yes, as I was just about to explain to the King, my lady, it seems that Merlin has been enchanted by a sorceress!' Gaius declared.

Arthur blinked.

'But, we knew that, Gaius. I mean it was pretty obvious...he was being cut by invisible knives for heaven's sake! What else could it have been?!' Arthur's bemusement and exasperation made Merlin chuckle.

'Yes, Arthur but if you'd let Gaius finish he'd have told you what else we found,' cut in Merlin, looking pointedly at the physician to continue with the lie they had devised.

'Ah yes, it says here that the victim, meaning Merlin, must travel alone to a lake of healing and bathe in its waters destroy the enchantment.' Merlin nodded solemnly at this statement, and had to stop himself from laughing at Arthur's expression.

'A lake of healing?' Arthur questioned, and from his tone it was clear that he didn't believe it for a moment. 'I've never heard of such a thing. That can't be right, Gaius. I mean, _bathe_ _in_ _the_ _waters_ _of_ _a_ _lake_ _of_ _healing_?' The King snorted with laughter, and his wife also seemed to be having trouble accepting this concept.

'I assure you that it is true, Sire, and it is the only way to sever the connection with the sorceress!' Gaius tried his best to seem wise and convincing, but wasn't completely sure it worked. Arthur gave him a disbelieving look.

'And you're sure about this?' He said finally, still obviously doubting the concept, but willing to do practically anything to help Merlin.

'Absolutely Sire,' the aged physician confirmed, and Arthur obviously decided to believe him as he said:  
'Alright. I will summon my finest knights and we will leave for this healing lake in an hour. If you know where it can be found, that is?' The King asked.

'We are aware of the lake's location, Sire, however I am afraid I cannot tell you of it's whereabouts.' Gaius looked distinctly uncomfortable with this, and Arthur's loud, '_**What**_?' seemed to discomfort him further.

'Remember, Your Highness, that it is of utmost importance that Merlin goes on this journey alone' responded the physician. 'It is vital that he is not assisted in this.'

'You can't honestly believe that I am going to let _Mer_lin wander the forest on his own, especially when he is already injured?!' Arthur was staring at Gaius now, completely shocked that the old man would even consider such a thing.

'I'm stronger than I look you know,' piped up Merlin, but everyone ignored him.

'Gaius, there are bandits and all manner of creatures out there that Merlin wouldn't have a hope against! I'm not going to let him go alone and that's final.'

'I understand your concern Sire, but there is nothing else we can do. If we don't break this enchantment soon Merlin will fall asleep again - he hasn't had a proper nights sleep for weeks.'

Arthur looked slightly guilty at this. He knew that he'd been working Merlin hard recently, even harder than normal, but he hadn't seen the exhaustion in his friend. He hadn't noticed the toll the extra hours of work were taking on the young man.

Arthur looked at Merlin.

'I just found you. I don't want to lose you again.' Merlin was surprised once more by the gentleness of Arthur's tone.

'Arthur, if you don't let me go then you definitely will lose me. Please,' Merlin implored his King, 'Give me the chance to end this.'

Arthur didn't know what to do. It felt like he was splitting inside. He looked at his wife, but she looked just as stuck as he felt.

Arthur couldn't let Merlin leave Camelot on his own under normal circumstances, let alone when he was this badly injured. There were bandits and beasts out there that could kill the servant as easily as breathing.

But if he didn't let Merlin go, what would happen? Gaius and Merlin would keep flicking through dusty old tomes, searching fruitlessly for a miracle. Maybe it would last for a few days, maybe more. Merlin would eventually fall asleep.

And this was all based on some mythical healing lake. A bloody _magical_ _lake_.

Suddenly Arthur slammed his fist on the table in frustration, and saw Gwen flinch beside him.

'I can't let you go Merlin,' he growled. 'There's practically no chance of your survival and I can't risk that.'

Merlin narrowed his eyes. 'I don't think it's really your decision to make, Sire,' he muttered dangerously.

Arthur had had enough.

'You are not to leave these chambers, Merlin. I am your King and you must obey me!' he yelled. When he saw the way Gwen was looking at him, he took a deep, calming breath then continued.  
'I'm sorry. But there must be something else, anything else! I just can't let you go gallivanting off on some wild goose chase looking for a magical lake.'

_Damn, _Merlin thought_. I knew he'd never believe the healing lake story._

'It wouldn't be a wild goose chase Arthur. It's a quest, just like any other, and it is for me alone.' Merlin tried.

'Like my quest to the perilous lands was for me alone?' Arthur snapped before he could stop himself. Guinevere raised an eyebrow at him, but the King ignored her.

'This is different and you know it. If you're my friend, you'll let me -'

'If I'm your friend I'll let you run off to your death? Not likely!' Arthur roared.  
'Merlin. You are staying here, and you and Gaius will keep looking. There must be something else. That is my final word on the matter.' And with that, the King swept out of the room, and after a moment his wife followed.

'He should know by now that I don't often do as I'm told,' Merlin mused, almost to himself.

*M*

Merlin had been disappointed that the plan had backfired so badly. Instead of granting him permission to take a horse from the stables along with anything else Merlin might need, Arthur had posted guards outside his door and ordered them not to let Merlin leave. It hadn't taken much effort to detain them but still, Merlin wasn't happy with defying his King yet again. He could feel the effects of Gaius' potion wearing off completely now, and his pace slowed a little. He had almost reached the clearing when the young warlock stopped completely, and sat down on a log.

A wave of tiredness washed over him like the tide, and suddenly Merlin felt his eyelids drooping.

_No_.

He struggled to open them again, fighting against the overwhelming need for sleep, and shakily stood up. He managed a few more minutes of painfully slow travel before he ran out of energy and stopped again.

_'__Fight_ _it__!' _A voice that sounded suspiciously like Arthur whispered in his head as Merlin sank down onto the floor.

_But I'm so tired... So very tired...just a few minutes..._

_No! Stay awake! Come on you lazy idiot!_

Merlin's fuzzy brain finally identified that this unnatural tiredness was caused by _her_ magic. She wanted him to sleep so she could torture him again!

Merlin's eyes shot open and he did the only thing he could think of to save himself.

_'O DRAGON!'_

*M*

The servant had finally succumbed to sleep again. The hag had been impressed with how long he had managed to stay awake, but she could feel him slipping into unconsciousness once more as her magic worked on him. She picked up the little clay doll and reached for her knife.

Slowly and meticulously, she sliced a zigzag across his belly, smiling as she thought of the unbearable pain this would cause. She wondered what the King of Camelot was doing now. Crying over the body like the pathetic child he was? Or silent and unmoving, his heart hardening into stone? However he was dealing with it, the witch knew that it wouldn't be long until the pain and grief finally drove him mad. And if it didn't work, his queen would be next.

She continued cutting shallow wounds, then suddenly drove the blade into his leg, smirking as she did so. It would not be long now before her revenge was complete.

*M*

The King was not, in fact, crying over Merlin. He was furious with the boy. Those incompetent guards claimed not to remember falling asleep, and Arthur was inclined to believe them. He could just imagine Merlin slipping them a sleeping draught from Gaius' stock, and slipping it into the unsuspecting guards' drinks when they weren't looking. That _idiot_! Arthur had wanted to ride out after him then and there, but Gaius had assured him that he wouldn't find Merlin now as it was too dark, and the old man still refused to tell him where the stupid lake was until Arthur finally had no choice but to command him.

'It is...it is five miles west of here' Gaius had finally admitted, but there was a strange look in his eyes that Arthur recognised immediately from his servant.

'Did you know that lying to the King is punishable by death?' He asked pointedly, and the physician looked away.

'I am sorry Sire. You _must_ allow Merlin to complete this task. You wouldn't find the lake if you tried, it is only visible to those who need it.'

Arthur had the feeling that Gaius had just made that up, and his patience was wearing thin. But he trusted the physician with his life, and so Arthur decided to trust him with Merlins too. The old man treated the young servant like a son, and Arthur knew that Merlin looked to Gaius as a father figure. Gaius would always have Merlin's best interests at heart.

'I will ride first thing in the morning if he hasn't returned by then' he relented, turning to leave the physician's draughty room.

'Very well Sire.'

Gaius' relief was evident, and the physician hoped and prayed that he had bought Merlin enough time to talk with the Great Dragon undisturbed.

*M*

Merlin, still semi-conscious, could feel the sharp blade plunge deep into his thigh. He screamed in agony as he writhed on the forest floor, wishing with all his might that it would end, that his magic could somehow stop these attacks.

Suddenly, Merlin felt wind blowing across his face and heard the whoosh of large leathery wings beating high above him. Merlin felt heat surrounding him, but not burning him, and then the pain eased and he slipped away into nothingness once more.

*M*

The witch clutched her dagger, and cackling loudly, placed the tip to the chest of the doll, where the heart would be.

'Goodbye, Merlin,' she whispered in a cruel, sickly sweet voice, and was preparing to stab the doll when suddenly, it burned her! She could feel fire's merciless tongue lapping at her fingers and dropped the doll in shock. The magical clay was not affected by the heat, and did not melt as she would have thought it to. The sorceress growled in fury and reached out to grab it again, but she found she could not hold the thing for longer than a few seconds before the burning became too much and she dropped it again.

'What is this?' She hissed to herself, then muttered a spell for water. She quickly dropped the doll into the now full bucket, and waited for it to start bubbling.

'You may boil if you wish, little servant. All the more enjoyable for me!'

But no bubbles came, and confused, the witch pulled the doll out again. It was scorching, and the heat burned so badly that the hag collapsed, coughing, to the floor. She screamed in rage and reached for her knife again, but when she turned back to the doll which now lay on the floor, there was a protective golden glow around it. She stabbed at it, but couldn't penetrate the shining shield. So, she flung curses at it, all the enchantments she could think of.

It didn't work.

Before her eyes, the hole in one of the doll's legs closed up: She saw cuts and lines smoothing on its chest, and could only cry out in fury as she saw the surface of the clay harden.

Using her anger as power, she flung more and more at the shield, finally managing to create a crack. She shoved her knife through the hole and stabbed furiously at the doll, aiming at the stomach, before the golden shield closed up again and her strength failed her. Exhausted from excessive use of her limited magic, the witch fell to the floor once more. Golden sparks started flying out from the shield and in a panic, the hag's eyes flashed as she released Merlin from his magical sleep.

**What did you think? Please remember to leave a review, it means a lot and motivates me to get going on the next chapter! Thanks for reading! X**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! Happy New Year's Eve! I wish you all a lovely 2013, although I don't see how it could live up to 2012, it was just too awesome! **

**Disclaimer: somehow, I still don't own Merlin. Grrrr...**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Merlin blearily opened his eyes, lifted his head and stared up at the Great Dragon high above him.

'Hello, young warlock' said the dragon simply, and Merlin blinked. Then he groaned

'I fell asleep again, didn't I.' It was not really a question. Merlin steeled himself, then looked down at his body, inspecting it for injuries. To his surprise, he hadn't been ripped completely to shreds like last time, and his original wounds seemed to have healed a bit. He twitched his hand experimentally, and he grinned as no pain came.

In some foggy part of his memory he remembered the feel of a knife slicing through the flesh in his left leg, but peeling back his trouser leg to check he found no mark. However, as he sat up he gasped and clutched his stomach, then dropped down to the ground again. Pain threatening to slice him in half spread from a nasty gash above his navel, and Merlin could tell it was deep.

'Be careful Merlin! You have been seriously injured and I do not think I can heal you again,' barked Kilgarrah.

'You healed me? Thank you.' Merlin whispered, realising just how much he owed the great creature standing above him.

'It was my duty, young warlock, and as I have said before, the world would be an empty place without you.'

Merlin looked up at the dragon towering over him and tried to smile but ended up grimacing with pain, still clutching his bleeding stomach.

'Do you know how I can destroy the enchantment?' He asked, getting to the point.

'Yes. But it is an unusual curse and therefore particularly hard to break.' The dragon paused, and Merlin waited, patience growing thin as the pain made him draw a ragged breath.

'Go on,' he prompted eventually, and Kilgarrah looked down at him and sighed.

'You must kill the one who did this to you before they kill you.' he said simply, and Merlin groaned.

'Finding a healing lake would've been nicer' he muttered to himself. 'Kilgarrah, I am weak! I have been tortured, and I'm falling apart! I am in no state to fight,' he cried desperately, but the dragon replied:

'You may be weak, but so is the sorceress who hurt you. When my flames healed you, they also burned your enemy, significantly hurting her I should think.' The dragon looked proud of himself. 'If you are to win this fight, you must do it tonight. It is your only chance, Merlin.'

He looked down at the Dragonlord, still greatly pained by the gash across his stomach. Merlin wouldn't be able to make it to the lair, let alone fight. Kilgarrah knew what he had to do.

'It is my destiny to help you, young warlock, and so I shall.' Before Merlin could question what he meant by this, the dragon had blown golden flames onto him. As he lay, surrounded by the comforting warmth once more, he felt the pain in his stomach lessen. Once the dragon was done, Merlin sat, then stood up.

'Thank you' Merlin breathed, feeling much stronger than before.

'It was nothing, young warlock. You will find the witch in a cave ten minutes from here, over there. Go quickly, my power will not sustain you for long.'

'Your power?' Merlin halted, having walked two steps away.

'Kilgarrah, you are using up your power to heal me?!' The young Dragonlord looked upset at this prospect. 'You are a creature of magic! This will hurt you, stop it immediately.'

'No, Merlin. We each have our own destinies, and this is mine. I have known it for a long time now. I am happy to die for you. Good luck.' And with that, the dragon clumsily launched itself into flight.  
Merlin watched in horror as the majestic creature soared away, noticing that he was flying slower than usual.

'KILGARRAH!' He shouted as loudly as he could, but the dragon ignored him, choosing instead to speak telepathically.

_Merlin. I have known that this moment would come for a while now. It is the cycle of life. Live well, and protect Arthur at all costs. You could not have been healed any other way. Do not waste my last gift. __**GO!**_

Tears pricking at his eyes, Merlin ran. He wanted to stop the dragon, even just say goodbye, but he knew he had to focus all of his energy on finding the sorceress and breaking the enchantment, because Merlin knew that if he died, if he was not there to protect Arthur, then the King would surely perish. The dragon would die a noble death, and he would be remembered.

Branches whipped at Melin's face but on he ran, desperate to find the cave before the dragon's power ran out. Eventually, he sensed something. He could hear the thrum of the magic at work in the air, and Merlin threw a spell at the invisible shield he knew was there.

It cracked, and burst into thousands of shards of dark glass which disappeared as they hit the ground. Merlin was surprised at how easy it had been to destroy the witch's only protective spell, but then he realised that she must not have considered that anyone would come looking for her, or even notice the magic if they did. With the shield gone, Merlin could now see the entrance to the cave, which had previously looked like a wall of rock and nothing more. He braced himself, then walked into the darkness.

He wanted to create a light so he could see where he was going, but was anxious not to use up Kilgarrah's power too soon, so he stumbled on, unable to make out more than shapes and silhouettes. But he could feel her.

He could feel her power, and Merlin noted that she did seem...damaged. Whatever Kilgarrah had done, it had worked. She was weak. Now was the time for Merlin to act. He drew in a deep breath, then shouted the magical words in the tongue of the Old Religion.

And then the cave was filled with fire.

Swirling and roaring, the flames devoured all they touched, and by the angry scream Merlin knew that the witch had been burned. He called off the flames and she stumbled round a corner, eyes widening with shock then narrowing with malice as she saw her attacker.

'Well, well, well,' she croaked, throat parched from the tough of the fire. '_You_, of all people, have magic? Now that I did not expect. Does your precious King know your little secret?' She managed to walk towards Merlin, her eyes never leaving his face.

'Nice party trick. But it will take more than that to take me down, fool! You will never kill me,' she laughed a horrible, dry cackle as she stepped towards him again.

'You're bluffing.' The hag was surprised by this. She had expected the boy to turn and run. 'Your magic is weak, just like you.' She glowered at Merlin.

'And I suppose you are more powerful?' Her disdainful look irritated Merlin.

'There are those who call me Emrys.' He smiled as the shock registered in her eyes, and he stepped towards her.

'That is impossible. Where did you hear that name?!' She screeched, backing away now.

'It is as possible as it is true.' Merlin closed the gap between them with a dark glint in his eyes. Then the hag spat a spell at him. It was weak, but he hadn't expected it and he was knocked off his feet and hit his head hard on the cavern wall.

'If you truly are Emrys you will stand up and fight me,' she taunted, struggling to mask the fear in her voice.  
Merlin's head hurt, and he could tell it was bleeding.

Time for this bitch to die.

He struggled to his feet, took one look at her then began shouting curse after curse after curse. She screamed and threw magical daggers at him, which Merlin didn't feel. He was too busy destroying her, too focused on the attack to pay attention to himself. Fire, ice, snakes, and then just pure power: he threw it all at her.

She was resilient, he gave her that. She kept fighting even when it was clear she didn't have a hope of surviving, still magicking daggers out of nothing and sending them flying towards him. Some of them hit their mark, slicing his arm or penetrating the flesh of his shoulder. Merlin didn't care. He flicked his wrist and she went crashing into a low table, but jumped up quickly, grabbing a real knife to send his way. Merlin stopped when he felt it cut open his stomach wound again, and hissing, descended to the ground. In anguish, he muttered one last word, and the hag's screams were silenced.

Merlin threw the glinting dagger aside, lurched to his feet and stumbled out of the cave. His head felt light and his vision swam as he struggled to remain conscious. He went as far as he could, then tripped, and his last thought before he fell unconscious was that it had all been for nothing.  
He was dying.

*M*

The sunlight streamed into Arthur's chambers as the nameless servant pulled open his curtains. Arthur lay there for a minute, still waking up, before remembering and sitting straight upright in bed, startling the servant.

'H- Here is your b- breakfast, Sire,' stuttered the servant, before being silenced by a look.

'Leave me,' the King ordered, and the boy stumbled out of the room.  
Arthur quickly dressed himself, then legged it to Gaius' chambers, hoping against hope that he would find Merlin inside.  
He didn't.  
Instead he found one very worried looking physician who appeared not to have slept at all.

'He hasn't returned?' Arthur checked, but the old man shook his head.

'No Sire.' Arthur growled at this and stormed out of the physician's chambers, mentally berating himself for not leaving last night. Where the hell could Merlin be?

He hurried to the stables and called a servant to summon Sir Leon, Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival. Then he ordered another to prepare four horses, and sent a young boy scurrying off in search of his sword. After a few minutes the boy returned with the knights right behind him.

'Merlin is seriously wounded and for some reason ran off to the forest to try and get healed,' he explained hurriedly, taking his sword from the servant. 'We will find him, and we will bring him back.,

Gwaine looked horrified: no one had told him that Merlin had returned in the first place, and he couldn't understand why he would leave again. Luckily Arthur elaborated.

'His wounds were a result of magic, and he believed that the only way to heal himself was to find some kind of lake in the forest.'

'And you let him go?' was Gwaine's cry of outrage as he stared at his King.

'Of course I didn't! I forbade it and put guards outside his door!' Arthur yelled, furious that the knight would consider him capable of that. Gwaine looked slightly mollified by this, and was secretly impressed by Merlin's efforts. It had been a stupid thing to do, but he respected the man for doing what he needed to do no matter what the consequences.

Leon and Percival looked upset at the news too, but they didn't know Merlin as well as Gwaine and Arthur so they weren't as badly affected by it. Leon had been about to object, and point out that the knights could look for Merlin while the King performed his duties, but after seeing the King's face he held his tongue. Leon knew that Arthur and Merlin shared a bond, and decided that Merlin really did need to be saved, or the kingdom would lose more than a servant.

Having sorted out the horses, the knights mounted, and they galloped out of the city.

**Will they find him in time? Who knows?!**  
**Oh yeah...I do :D**  
**Mwahahahaha**  
**Next chapter might be the last one, I'll see how it goes when I'm writing it.** **If you've enjoyed this then pleeeeeease let me know! Reviews are so helpful and lovely, so if you've got time then let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading and happy new year xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Reviews have been amazing as usual, and over 4,000 views now which I am ecstatic about! If only I got a pound for every view...**

**disclaimer: I still don't own Merlin...:(**

**Hope you enjoy!**

The knights searched the woods surrounding Camelot for hours, but there was no sign of Merlin. They only stopped to eat when Gwaine complained of feeling light-headed: Arthur hadn't wanted to stop even for a minute, but he knew they would need sustenance to continue their search, so he reluctantly slipped off his horse and sat with the others.

They ate in silence: Arthur and Gwaine worrying about Merlin, Leon and Percival worrying about Arthur.

Once they had finished their brief meal, the knights found a river to fill up their water skins. Arthur had just dipped his into the river when he noticed that the water was not clean, and emptied his water skin immediately. The normally crystal clear waters were tinged with a reddy-brown liquid, and Arthur struggled to think what it could be. He tentatively tried a drop of the water, but the mystery substance was very dilute and Arthur couldn't taste anything distinctive. With disappointingly empty water skins, the knights headed back to where they had left the horses, mounted, and continued their search.

It was another half hour before any of them spoke. Unsurprisingly, the one to break the silence was Gwaine. They were trotting through the forest, further from Camelot now, when the knight began to speak.

'Merlin always seems to get out of these situations, doesn't he. Every battle he's been by your side, Arthur, and he's only been wounded a few times. He must just be lucky, I suppose.' Arthur looked round as Gwaine continued to muse aloud.

'Thats how I know he's still alive. He's my only true friend and I'm sure I would know if he was dead,' Gwaine continued, and the others were surprised at his openness, and willingness to discuss his feelings. He had never acted like that before.

Percival suspected that the knight was much more worried than he let on, and was trying to convince himself of Merlin's safety more than the others. Percival rarely said much, but he was always listening and watching, noticing how the others behaved. He had realised a while ago that the only thing that kept Gwaine in Camelot was Merlin. As the tavern-loving knight had just said, Merlin was Gwaine's only true friend in the city. The knights all generally got along well, sharing the brotherly bond that comes from fighting side by side, but it wasn't a friendship like the one Merlin and Gwaine shared. Percival feared that if they didn't find Merlin soon, Camelot would have one less knight protecting her, as well as a grief-stricken King.

'Yep' the knight continued cheerily, 'All those battles and never any weapons or armour? He must be the luckiest man in Camelot. He'll be fine.'

Arthur wished he could believe Gwaine's optimistic words, but after searching for so long he felt his hope begin to dwindle. He was determined to find his friend, and he _would_ find him, but what condition would he be in by the time he was found? Arthur liked to think that he too would know if Merlin had perished, but really he had no idea. The knights had been waylaid by bandits once already so far today - what if those men had found the servant? Arthur felt rage bubble up inside him again, though whether it was at Merlin for running off or at the idea of someone hurting his servant he had no idea.

_Hurting him more further, you mean, _whispered an annoying little voice in Arthur's head.

_He was already badly injured when he left. A knight would struggle to travel under those conditions, let alone a poor, defenceless -_

Leon's shout cut into Arthur's pessimistic thoughts. They had been following that river for a while now, and were upstream of where they had previously tried to collect water. Arthur looked around as Leon shouted:

'there's something there, on the other side. Could be a person!' Arthur twisted around in the saddle, and sure enough he saw a shape, unmoving on the other side.

*M*

Merlin looked around him at the pure whiteness, confused and disorientated. He was wearing his usual outfit, neckerchief and all, but as he looked around he realised that he had no idea where he was. He didn't feel tired anymore, and neither did he feel any pain. He scanned his body for the cuts and bruises he knew should be there, but his skin was unmarked, almost glowing.

'Merlin.' He wheeled around at the sound of that voice, the voice he had dreamed about hearing for so long. And there she was, looking radiant in a simple, elegant white gown, and smiling at him as if he was the best thing she'd seen in a long time.

'Freya!' Merlin gasped, joy filling his heart at the mere sight of her. He rushed towards her, but paused as she held up a hand, a frown appearing on her face.

'No, Merlin. We cannot touch.'

'But, why?' Merlin stared at her, feeling desperate to grab her, hug her to his chest and never let go, but she shook her head.  
'Freya, am I dead?' He looked around once more at the never ending whiteness, then struggled to think of the last thing he could remember. A deep stomach wound...dizzying exhaustion...the jolt of pain as he fell to the ground...

'I am, aren't it? I'm dead.' He struggled to come to terms with this, but it was too big an idea to accept.

'No.'

Merlin looked at her again, feeling even more confused than before. He stared at her pretty face, her flowing dark hair and faultless skin. She hadn't looked like that in life. He had always thought her lovely, but now she seemed...angelic. Ethereal.

'You are between worlds, Melin. Your mortal body is very near death, but now is not the right time for you to join me.' Freya stepped towards him, smiling sadly as she saw the pain in his eyes at not being able to touch her. She had waited so long to see him, and even now that she could, she couldn't feel his touch, his warmth, inhale his scent. It was heart breaking.

'So, what happens now? You said it isn't the right time for me to die, and yet here I am.' He looked at her searchingly, tantalisingly close now. He wanted to stay with her, here where there was no pain. They would never be parted again, never have to feel sadness or loss or grief again.

But if I stay here, he thought to himself, I can't protect Arthur, and then...

_Arthur_

At the memory of his best friend, Merlin jumped back from his first love, steely determination appearing in his blue eyes as he remembered just why he had to leave this place. Arthur, Gaius, Gwen, his mother, Gwaine...he couldn't leave these people. He had to live. He would not waste Kilgarrah's final gift.

'How do I get back?' When Freya didn't respond immediately, Merlin repeated his question, 'Freya, please tell me. How do I get back?'

She looked sadly into his pale face, still longing to reach out and stroke his hair. Finally, she whispered, 'the only way for your body to be saved is to free your magic, Merlin. Let it heal you, let it take control completely. You are the most powerful warlock ever to walk the earth, and this is the only way to save yourself.'

Merlin nodded slowly, then smiled at her. 'Will this definitely work?' he checked, and her frown deepened.

'Your body has been seriously harmed. It is possible that it is too late - time doesn't pass normally here, so rushing will make no difference - but you were not meant to die like this. You must try. For me.'

Merlin felt tears pricking in his eyes as he looked longingly into her pale face.

'Alright' he whispered. 'Goodbye, then.'

'Goodbye, Merlin. Live well. We will meet again, one day.'

The young man wiped furiously at his eyes before turning and walking away. He looked back over his shoulder, and she was still there, watching him.

'Go, Merlin.' He nodded, sniffed, and then walked away into the never ending whiteness.

When he felt he had gone far enough he stopped, then for the first time he completely let go of his control.

It was beautiful. Magic surged through his veins, and he lifted up off the ground, flying higher and higher. He let his power surround him, swooping and swerving, dipping and diving in the pale expanse of sky. He could feel his power growing, and for a minute he felt truly immortal. It was wonderful. His eyes turned gold and he laughed out loud, amazed by the sensation of being completely free. Then, his vision began to darken, and Merlin shut his eyes as he began to disappear.

'Goodbye, my love' Freya whispered, but he had gone, and she stood alone underneath an empty sky.

*M*

Arthur slid off his horse and skidded to the edge of the river. There was definitely something there, but whether it was a person or an animal he still couldn't tell. Desperate to know, he began wading through the shallow river, hearing the others splashing behind him. As he struggled to the other side, he noticed that the mysterious red liquid was trickling down into the water down the steep river bank.

There was a lot of it. He felt sick as he saw that the blood was coming from the body on the other side. Arthur prayed that it wasn't Merlin, because there was no way that body could still be alive after losing so much...

But as he hauled himself out and scrambled up the bank, he saw that the man lying face down was human, had dark hair, and wore a neckerchief the colour of the sky around his neck.

Arthur fell to his knees.

_'No_,' he whispered, not believing it. This body, lying in a pool of crimson blood could not be Merlin. It didn't make sense. Merlin was active and cheerful, sarcastic and clumsy. Never so still.

Time seemed to slow down, and Arthur couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare. He was vaguely aware of Gwaine coming up behind him, shouting and calling for the others to help. Arthur just sat there. He watched Leon search desperately for a pulse, saw the sadness in his eyes and knew that it was real.

Merlin was dead.

And then Gwaine was shouting, screaming, and shaking his friend, calling his name and staring into those vacant eyes of palest blue. No reply came, and Gwaine began to sob as he gently shut Merlin's eyes. Still Arthur didn't move.

He felt disconnected, like he was watching from afar. He barely registered Leon's pitying looks, Percival picking up the body and Gwaine falling to the floor, hands over his face. He watched, but didn't really see as Percival carried the corpse back across the river and tied him carefully onto his horse's saddle. Gwaine eventually stood up, turned, and walked away to be alone. Leon sat down next to Arthur, but the King barely noticed.

Merlin was dead.

'Sire...' Leon seemed lost for words. Arthur ignored him. He just stared at the pool of blood where Merlin had been moments before. Where Merlin had died, in pain and alone.

Arthur had failed.

Leon continued talking, something about heading back to Camelot, but Arthur didn't move. He just shook his head, then finally turned and looked at his most trusted knight. Leon saw the pain and sorrow in Arthur's face, and didn't know what to do to help his grief-stricken King.

When it became clear that Arthur wouldn't move, Percival returned to their side of the river, leaving Merlin tied securely onto the horse.

'Arthur, we should go. There's no point in staying here,' the strong man murmured gently, and Arthur looked up at him.

'How can he be dead?' He whispered, still unable to accept that Merlin had really gone, that they'd been too late. Percival swallowed. He had been very fond of Merlin. He hadn't talked to him very often, but Merlin's companionship had come to be a great reassurance to the hulking man: Percival didn't know why, but it was true. However, his own grief seemed to be nothing in comparison to Arthur's.

'He's gone, Sire. Lets just go home.' Percival's gentle words reached Arthur, but still the King shook his head. Deciding that the King needed time to get over the shock, Percival went to comfort Gwaine instead.

The cocky, handsome, confident knight was sitting on the floor with his back to them. In his hands he held the neckerchief that he had pried from Merlin's cold throat. Remarkably, there was no trace of blood on it, and Gwaine stared down at the article of clothing Merlin never seemed to be without. He clutched the fabric tightly as tears began sliding down his nose once more. He couldn't return to Camelot. There was nothing for him there any more.

He would leave, and slip back into his previous lifestyle of crawling from tavern to tavern, lonely but never sober. Maybe it would hurt less after too many pints of ale, maybe not. He looked up as Percival walked over to him. They talked quietly for a while, and then the men stood up together and went to their King, Gwaine still clutching the neckerchief.

'Arthur, we have to leave,' Leon tried again. 'We have to return to Camelot. It will be dark soon. Please, Sire.' Arthur finally nodded, and numbly rose to his feet, still feeling hollow inside. He stumbled down the riverbank to the water, but then looked across at the horses on the other side.

'Percival, where's Mer- Where's the body?' He asked, convinced he had watched the knight tie the servant to a horse. Percival quickly crossed the river and stared at the empty saddle in shock and confusion.

'I put him here. Look - there's blood on the saddle, he was here, I tied him down!' Percival whipped around to stare at Arthur, eyes wide and disbelief on his face.

'Who, me?' asked a weak voice.

**Ooh, this chapter was a bit sad wasn't it, sorry about that. But look, Merlin is alive! YAY! Haaaappy New Year folks! :)**

**I will try to do the final chapter tomorrow - I really don't think I can squeeze enough out of this story to do more than that but I'll see how it goes. As usual, please review if you can, it makes my day! Xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**I've said it all before really...reviews have been amazing and I've just generally been thrilled! So thankyou!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin :( one day...**

**Here we go, last chapter :(**

As Merlin regained consciousness he blearily noted that he was tied down. In a panic, he opened his eyes and struggled to free himself, succeeding in slipping his thin hands through the knots. The horse he was atop snorted at the sudden movement, and Merlin looked down at it in confusion. It was a beautiful creature with a shining brown coat and a glossy black mane, which Merlin knotted his hands through to regain his balance.

Merlin recalled the place between worlds where he had seen Freya again. That sensation of releasing his magic...Merlin closed his eyes as he remembered the delicious feeling of freedom and power. It had obviously worked, because here he was, healed, alive and well and...on a horse.

Merlin looked around him. How had he gotten here? A shallow but wide river gurgled to his right, and he could hear voices from the other bank. Familiar voices. Merlin strained his ears to listen in on the conversation, leaning to the side. He felt a sudden twinge of pain and lurched sideways, losing his balance and landing in a heap on the ground.

_Ow_, he thought, and pulling up his tunic saw that while greatly healed, there was still a wound on his stomach. It was a lot smaller than before, and the pink skin surrounding it hinted that eventually there would be no scar. For now though, he would have to be more careful.

Merlin shifted onto his knees, still not knowing who was on the other bank. Could it be Arthur? He tried not to get his hopes up. More likely some peasants or travellers who had found him and were taking him to get medical help. It was possible of course that the men weren't friendly, and memories of the last time he'd been kidnapped flashed across Merlin's mind. His hands curled into fists as he tensed up, suddenly wary.

Then, Merlin heard splashing and realised that the men were crossing the river. There were four horses in total, and Merlin crawled around to behind the big one he'd been tied onto. In this state, Merlin really didn't want to fight, especially four probably armed men. He knelt there, waiting to see if they were friends or not.

Straining to hear again, Merlin caught, 'Where's the body?' and immediately recognised the voice. Arthur. Relief flooded through him and he relaxed as he realised that he was being rescued, not taken. But Merlin was shocked by the despair and hopelessness he had heard in Arthur's familiar voice, and even more surprised by the question.

_Body_? He wondered.

_Do they - was I..._

He heard another voice, and this time it was Percival.

'I put him here. Look - there's blood on the saddle, he was here, I tied him down!'

This voice was a lot closer, and Merlin realised with a jolt that the man must be only a few metres away.

'Who, me?' He asked, his voice weak, and he shakily stood up.

'_MERLIN_!' Percival shouted, looking delighted, shocked and confused all at the same time. 'How the hell - Arthur, he's alive!' Percival turned to Merlin as the others raced through the river, excitement and joy on all their faces. The first one to reach Merlin was Arthur.

The king stumbled up the bank towards him, mouth open and...were those tears in his eyes? Merlin blinked, but yes, it looked like Arthur was crying. The men regarded one another, grins spreading across both their faces, then Arthur rushed forward and hugged his best friend.

'You were dead, _God_ Merlin, you were _dead_ - How are you even alive? I'm so sorry- I failed you - I - there was so much blood, it just wasn't -' Arthur broke off from his rambling as he saw the pain flash across Merlin's pale face and he released him immediately, stepping back.

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?' Merlin grimaced then pulled up his tunic and showed Arthur his gash.

'Shit Merlin. That must've hurt, I'm sorry.'

'Stop apologising you clot pole,' Merlin tried teasingly, and Arthur grinned again like he'd had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. It was at this point that Gwaine and Leon came rushing towards them, and Merlin had to try not to laugh at the incredulous, overjoyed look on Gwaine's handsome face.

'_Merlin_!' He yelled, and came running up to grab him, but Arthur stepped in front.

'He's hurt,' the King stated, and Gwaine skidded to a halt, face suddenly freezing with worry, but Merlin just smiled at him.

'I'm alright, Gwaine, really.' Merlin indicated to his stomach, saying, 'I've got a bit of a cut here, but other than that, I feel fine.' The knights all looked at each other, lost for words. Gwaine was grinning like a maniac, and Arthur was just staring at his best friend. It was Leon who spoke next.

'Merlin, you don't know how glad I am that you're okay, but only ten minutes ago I swear you were dead...there was no pulse, and you were so cold.' The older man looked searchingly at the servant, who was now standing next to his King.

'I think that was...um...one of the effects of the healing water!' Merlin improvised wildly. The knights looked at him disbelievingly, so he continued, 'the body simulates death to break the enchantment and then, the patient recovers. Simple really.' Merlin smiled disarmingly, but the men still seemed unsure.

'Its just that there was so much blood...it was everywhere, even in the river,' Arthur definitely didn't look convinced. Merlin just shrugged, and a lopsided grin spread across the King's face once more.

'I'm just glad you're okay. You're a complete idiot for leaving, you know that?' Arthur suddenly looked thunderous, and his tone changed from playful to serious.

'You can't just run off into the forest Merlin. You could have died - I'm still pretty sure you _did_ die! Don't you _dare_ try something like that again.'

'Of course not _Sire_,' Merlin flashed a cheeky smile and Gwaine, Percival and Leon chuckled but Arthur still looked furious.

'I'm serious. If you ever try that again, I'll...I'll make you personally polish the armour for the entire army.' Arthur's face drained of anger and he just looked at his best friend.

'I thought you were dead, Merlin. I thought that I'd failed you, and you'd been here cold and alone and in pain and -'

Merlin cut in, sensing the growing agitation in his friend's voice. 'It's okay, Arthur. I'm _fine_. Honestly. But...can we go home now?' Arthur smiled again.

'There's not enough horses, we probably should've thought of that.'

'He can have my horse,' Gwaine immediately volunteered, and Merlin gratefully accepted. The knight helped to lift Merlin into the saddle, then they began the long track back to Camelot, with Gwaine walking alongside.

*M*

'So you found your lake, then?' Arthur asked, twisting in his saddle to raise an eyebrow at his servant.

'Yep, and just in time too.' Merlin lied. He knew the knights were curious about what had happened so he had quickly come up with a story as they trotted through the forest.

'The enchantment was strong and I was just about falling asleep again when I came across it. I half fell in, but it wasn't enough to sever the connection. The lower half of my body was in the water, and the upper half wasn't. She...the sorceress had some fun.'

There was a bad taste in Merlin's mouth as he bitterly muttered, 'she likes to play with her food.' That much was definitely true, and he had to stop himself from reliving all the pain she had caused him. 'But when she gave me this,' he gestured to his injury, 'I spasmed or something, and fell into the water. Then it all went away. The pain just stopped. I think I blacked out or something. I don't know why I didn't drown.'

He frowned, seeing the hole in his story as he told it. The knights all seemed to accept that you couldn't drown in a magical lake, so Merlin guessed that he had gotten away with it.

'When I woke up I knew I had to move: you wouldn't have found me if I'd stayed there, you could only find that lake if you needed it. That was part of the magic. So I ran. I went as far as I could but eventually I just fainted, I guess.'

'But if you had fainted, why did you seem dead when we found you?' Leon questioned. Merlin was ready for this.

'The magic hadn't finished working yet. When I was in the lake it stopped her torturing me and healed the worst of my wounds so I thought that was it. I think that it had temporarily healed me, but not completely broken the spell, and when I fainted the magic started working again, a bit like the enchantment itself I suppose,' he mused.

'Like I said before, the body has to be pretty much dead for the enchantment to be broken. I was at that stage when you found me. The lake didn't properly heal this gash, and that's where the blood all came from,' he clarified.

'When the magic was done, I woke up, and found myself tied to a horse.'

There was silence for a minute. Arthur seemed dissatisfied with the story, and Merlin knew that there'd been a lot of holes in it. But Arthur said nothing, so Merlin just smiled, sat back in his saddle, and spurred on his horse.

*M*

Merlin entered Arthur's chambers without knocking as usual, before laying down a plate piled high with the best the royal kitchens could offer. Arthur turned as he heard someone come in, then sighed in exasperation as he saw who it was.

'_Mer_lin, you are supposed to be recovering.'

'I've been recovering!'

'We've barely been back for an hour.'

'Yes, I spent an hour recovering and now here I am. Someone had to bring you your food or you would get grumpy,' the servant teased. 'I've never seen anyone who loves his food as much as you...'

'We have had this conversation before, Merlin. I am NOT fat!'

'I never said you were, Sire. There is nothing wrong with liking your food.'

'No there isn't,' Arthur growled, 'although you look like you never eat at all. So skinny...'

'I'd rather be skinny than -' Merlin stopped himself before grinning tauntingly at Arthur from across the room. 'Well, _you_ know.'

'Oh I know Merlin. I know that you are a lazy, clumsy, idiot,' the King's expression changed as he looked at his servant. 'I also know that you are my best friend, and I never want lose you again.'

The men shared a look, then Merlin quietly murmured, 'thank you, Arthur.'  
Then he had turned to leave, and ruined the moment by taunting, 'there can't be many people willing to be around a royal prat like you!'

The clang could be heard from three floors down as the golden goblet bounced off the back of Merlin's head.

Everything was back to normal once more.

**And that is it!**

**I've had so much fun writing this! So sad to finish it, but its worked out pretty well because I go back to school tomorrow :( yay.**  
**I hope you liked the ending, please let me know what you thought! I've put quite a lot of time into this over the last week and feedback is always very welcome.**  
**Don't know when I'll have time or an idea to get a new story going, but from the experience I've had with this one I hope it's soon! **  
**Thank you so much if you reviewed, followed or favourited this story or me!** **Bye!**  
**Kalia of Camelot xxx**


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